How to Restore Corvette Valve Covers

Restoring '84-'96 Corvette Valve Covers

Valve covers are the engine's topping, and a shiny clean set tells theworld a quality, high-performance engine resides in your enginecompartment. For owners of C4 ('84-'96) Corvettes, valve covers areoften eyesores. Exposed to high underhood temperatures, they frequentlyshed their outer coverings or, worse yet, part of the coverings leavinga blotchy, ugly, black undercoating. The result of this erosion is notgood.

Zip Products offers Valve Cover Paint (PN ZMG-92), which correctlyrestores the original coloration of the valve covers as delivered fromthe factory. The total time for this transformation is about an hour,including bead-blasting the old paint surface, reapplication of the newpaint, and total drying time. This is one terrific weekend drivewayproject and well worth the effort.

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The next step was to clean them with solvent and bead-blast away the oldpaint. Try not to allow bead material to come in contact with theunderside of the cover, as the engine could later ingest the debris.

The valve covers were painted with the Zip Products valve cover paint.Several thin coats were applied with drying time between layers. After athorough drying, the insides of the covers were cleaned again, newgaskets installed, and they were bolted back in place on the engine.

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The original valve covers were in poor condition. Much of theundercoating was visible under sections that had peeled away.

The first step was to remove the covers.

The next step was to clean them with solvent and bead-blast away the oldpaint. Try not to allow bead material to come in contact with theunderside of the cover, as the engine could later ingest the debris.

The valve covers were painted with the Zip Products valve cover paint.Several thin coats were applied with drying time between layers. After athorough drying, the insides of the covers were cleaned again, newgaskets installed, and they were bolted back in place on the engine.

The final look is a great improvement--no need to keep the hood closedduring cruise night anymore!